The 40th edition of JazzAscona begins tonight. The eagerly awaited edition offers ten days of music, workshops, jam sessions, with no less than 300 concerts and 60 bands in ten days, featuring musicians from New Orleans, young talents to be discovered and, in this special year, five big bands. The musical variety and diversity is as usual  offering a multitude of genres, from traditional to modern jazz through  hip-hop, but also funk, blues, Latin American music, soul, Caribbean music and many more.

As always, the festival starts at 18.00 with a parade through the streets of Ascona, led by the New Orleans brass band Tremé Lafitte. Followed by some  20 concerts  in the evening. Among the ones not to be missed (also because they are one-off concerts that will not be repeated on subsequent evenings) we’d like to tell you about

Môme, a jazzy tribute to Edith Piaf’s most famous songs by accordionist Danilo Boggini, with the voice of Beatrice Zanolini (at the Stage Chiesa from 7.30 pm),

The explosive Joe Dallas & The Monks feat. Nate Williams and Badrya Razem, who will be awarded with the new BancaStato Ticino Award (New Orleans Stage, from 8.00 pm)…

… and from 10.30 pm on the New Orleans Stage, the James Brown Tribute Show featuring the SoulVision Allstars: eight top musicians from the Swiss soul-funk scene, all long-standing fans of the Godfather of Soul.

Eliza Sonnenschein & the Sunshine Avenue Band (Stage Elvezia, 21:00 – 22:00) and blueswoman Vanessa Collier (Stage Elvezia, 23:30 – 01:00), who has already won the Aet Audience Award at JazzAscona 2023, will also be performing, but fortunately they will be staying in Ascona for several days.